Superstar Mario Maurer is coming to terms with his new fame as the Thai actor with the stand-out pink nipples, following his military conscription draw earlier this month which captured wide attention.
Mario Maurer.
Mario’s day with the military was covered closely by mainstream media and his fans on social media alike, with the nation supposedly gasping in amazement when Mario took off his T-shirt to have his chest measured.
"Mario’s nipples are now officially a national agenda item!" one outlet enthused. Another declared: "It was national Mario day."
Mario said he was taken aback by the attention he drew when he reported for conscription duties at Wat Kratum Sua Pla in Prawet district on April 7.
"When I got home and checked Instagram I was stunned to see how many people were commenting on my chest, especially my nipples," he said last week.
His chest was still drawing attention, with many people giving him strange looks, and friends teasing him that he might have to start promoting his nipples rather than his acting career. "Some fans also left messages in a lustful vein," he admitted.
"My family was surprised, telling me they didn’t know I had pink nipples. I am delighted with the attention … or maybe not. Some critics suggest my nipples look less than manly. Perhaps I need to find some technique to make them darker," he joked.
While Thais enthused over his chest, his Chinese fanclub despaired that Mario had appeared to have let his six-pack of old turn to flab.
"Building up a six-pack is no easy task. You have to work out hard and keep an eye on your diet," Mario said a touch defensively, adding he spends less time in the gym these days as he is too busy.
"Friends have teased me asking if I took sandpaper to my nipples to buff them up before the draw. I told them I actually hadn’t inspected myself. In future I might have to start applying cream to keep them looking taut," he joked.
The actor says life has returned to normal since he pulled a black card at the draw, exempting him from military service. He is back at work on his lakorns and university studies.
"I still try to exercise regularly, though no one has been in touch wanting to hire me for sexy work," he said, referring to the attention over his nipples.
Preeti ‘Bank’ Barameeanant.
I'll perform, you can Bank on it
Singer Preeti "Bank" Barameeanant denies the bomb blast in Samui scared him away from a recent concert appearance.
The former lead singer from the Thai band Clash took to social media last week after critics claimed the Central Samui Festival bombing on April 10 spooked him out of singing for the "Samui Songkran bikini party" on the island resort last week.
Bank, who published pictures of a swollen ankle sustained in a recent accident, said he was actually in too much pain to perform. He also denied claims the stage was too small for someone of his stature.
"My sore ankle doesn’t compare with my hurt feelings. Where did you get those ideas from?" he asked his critics.
"Big or small, I have never argued over the stage … from sports stadiums to bars which are so small there is no stage out front and I end up bumping in to the customers.
"As for claims I am scared of bombs … I have seen plenty of violence during my time as a performer, and I am not daunted. I have seen Thais belting each other and stabbing each other in front of me. I have also witnessed explosions, and my manager had his ear torn in one incident.
"I didn’t tell anyone about my sore foot as I didn’t want people to worry. In the end I couldn’t perform on any stage, big or small. I did go on stage to apologise.
"Some critics ask me if I think I am some kind of angel … too precious to perform. If I was an angel I could say a quick prayer and make my foot better."
Poom accused of flaunting wealth
DJ Poomjai "Poom" Tangsanga says he didn’t mean to look down on the poor when he criticised their tendency to spend money unwisely and get into debt.
Poom went before the media last week after social media critics got stuck into a recent Instagram post in which he appears with a luxury car.
It was accompanied by the message: "If you give a rich man one million baht, in 10 years time, he will have 10 million baht; if you give that money to a poor man, in just 10 days he will have an iPhone, smartphone, watch and car and a load of debt as well … ”
Thais accused Poom of flaunting his assets and looking down on those less fortunate.
But Poom said he actually intended the remark to serve as advice to a young friend.
Poomjai ‘Poom’ Tangsanga.
"I didn’t mean to disparage the poor," he said. "My post stemmed from a chat with a young friend at my place about a week ago.
"He said it looked really smart. I taught him that if he wants to own similar possessions, he will have to know how to handle money."
Poom said he knows he has made some enemies from the saga, but also won some sympathisers as well.
"I am taking the criticism as a life lesson. On the plus side, my Instagram followers shot up to 10,000 in just one day," he said.
"I am actually against people who show off their wealth. But I am in the entertainment business, and I know what people want," insisting some fans do want to see him with the assets he has accumulated as a result of his hard work and success.
Kotee Aramboy.
Kotee's manly challenge
Comedian Kotee Aramboy is preparing himself for a few physical changes as he takes a course of male hormones to prepare him for family life.
The rotund comedian says he hopes to get engaged to his new partner in the next 12 months. Marriage and a family would follow.
However, his sperm count is too low to impregnate her, so on medical advice he is about to take a course of male hormones to improve his chances.
"At the moment I can’t have children, as I have more female hormones than male ones … though making love is not a problem," he said last week.
"Once I start taking male hormones, my muscles will get bigger. I will no longer have the female-style breasts which you can see now. I am also likely to end up with facial hair, though the thought it hard to take. I can’t bear the thought of myself with a beard or a moustache. In my 34 years I have never had a moustache; in fact, I have never had to shave. I don’t have any underarm or pubic hair either."
Male hormones will have another side effect which his partner is likely to notice in bed.
"The doctor also says my testicles also will get bigger. Most importantly, the hormone treatment will improve my chances of having a child," he added, saying he has set no target for when he wants to start a family.
